Galaxy · Elliptical
NGC 284
NGC 284 is a galaxy in the direction of the constellation Cetus, 537.2 million light-years away.
| Type | Elliptical |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Distance | 537.2 million light-years (164.71 Mpc) |
| Diameter | 142,500 light-years · 1.6 × the Milky Way |
| Absolute magnitude | magnitude −21.72 |
| Apparent magnitude | magnitude 14.36 |
| Luminosity | 2.1 × the Milky Way |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 0h 53m 24.2s |
| Declination (J2000) | −13° 09′ 32″ |
| Source | 2MASS Redshift Survey (Huchra et al. 2012) |
In the sky
A telescope is needed to see it: its apparent magnitude is 14.36. Visible from the whole Southern Hemisphere and north to latitude 77° N. South of latitude 77° S it never sets. It stands highest at midnight in October, the best time to observe it.
Through a telescope from Earth
Light's journey
The light you see tonight set out 537 million years ago. At that time complex animals were spreading through the seas and over the land; there were no dinosaurs yet. At the speed of Voyager 1, the fastest craft leaving the Solar System (16.9 km per second), the trip would take 9,529.8 billion years.